David Cameron or Rupert Murdoch ... there’s only one choice for Guto Harri

Guto Harri, the right-hand man to Boris Johnson, has accepted a job with
Rupert Murdoch rather than work for David Cameron at 10 Downing Street.

Guto Harri, right, leans on Andy Coulson, who resigned as David Cameron’s 'spin doctor’ before he was arrested by detectives investigating phone hackingPhoto: Alan Davidson

By Richard Eden

7:30AM BST 20 May 2012

Given his current travails, Rupert Murdoch might seem to hold little appeal as a potential employer. The beleaguered media tycoon is, however, still considered to be a more attractive proposition than David Cameron by Guto Harri, the right-hand man to Boris Johnson.

Mandrake can disclose that Harri has spurned a second offer to become the Prime Minister’s “spin doctor” in favour of a job at Murdoch’s News International.

Harri, the BBC’s former chief political correspondent, confirmed to friends on Friday that he would take Murdoch’s shilling. “I have accepted the job, but it’s top secret,” he told them.

Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, who resigned as the Prime Minister’s communications chief before the most shocking details of the phone hacking scandal became public, confirmed to the Leveson Inquiry earlier this month that Harri had been Cameron’s first choice for the job.

It is understood that the Conservative leader made a second attempt to woo Harri after the former broadcaster let it be known that he would be stepping down as Boris Johnson’s director of external affairs after the mayor had won a second term in City Hall.

Harri’s decision to spurn Cameron’s advances is likely to be seen as a significant blow to the Prime Minister, whose public relations operation has been heavily criticised in recent months.

Coulson resigned from 10 Downing Street in January last year and was arrested six months later by police investigating phone hacking during his editorship of the News of the World. He was replaced as head of communications at No 10 by Craig Oliver, who was a BBC news executive.

Harri, 45, who has three children by his wife, the novelist Shireen Jilla, will be well remunerated for accepting the daunting challenge of restoring News International’s battered image.

Last week, the company’s former chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, was charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. It has spent more than £300 million dealing with the fall-out of the phone hacking scandal.